The smell of rot hit him first.
Nguyen Arata jolted awake on a straw mat that felt damp beneath his skin. His eyes shot open, only to find the roof above him was cracked and leaking. Every breath filled his lungs with the foul odor of mildew and dried blood.
"This… isn't my apartment." His voice came out hoarse, dry.
Memories flickered in his mind: the rain, the alleyway, the knife glinting in the dark, and that last screen floating in front of his dying eyes.
[Fatal Injury Detected.] [Would you like to reincarnate into a world where strength decides everything?] [Yes / No]
He had laughed bitterly then, certain it was a hallucination. He remembered whispering "yes" as the world slipped away.
Now here he was. Alive. In a body that didn't feel like his own.
Before he could fully process it, another luminous screen appeared in the air.
[Welcome, Host.] [Mission: Survive the night.] [Reward: +1 Stat Point, Basic Sword Technique.] [Failure: Death.]
Arata's mouth went dry. "Survive… the night?"
As if to answer, a low scratching noise echoed from the door.
Creak… scrape…
Something was outside.
Arata's heart hammered against his ribs. He looked around frantically. The hut was nearly bare—broken shelves, overturned clay jars, a shattered stool. In the corner lay a jagged piece of wood, splintered from the wall. He crawled toward it, hands trembling.
The scratching grew louder. Then, with a slow, dreadful groan, the door creaked open.
The figure that stepped inside was wrong. Its limbs were too long, its movements jerky. The thing's gray skin was stretched tight across its bones, and its jaw hung far wider than any human's should. Hollow eye sockets dripped black fluid that sizzled as it hit the dirt floor.
The monster tilted its head, sniffing the air.
Arata's body froze. His mind screamed at him to run, but his legs refused.
Then the System chimed again.
[Combat Encounter Initiated.] [Penalty for inactivity: Forced Termination.]
Arata's stomach dropped. Inactivity? It'll kill me if I don't fight?
[Correct.]
The monster shrieked and lunged.
Arata barely rolled aside. Claws raked across the mat, shredding it where he had lain a second ago. The sound of tearing straw and splintering wood jolted him into motion. He grabbed the jagged plank and swung with all his strength.
Thud!
The makeshift weapon struck the monster's shoulder, ripping open rotten flesh. Black ichor sprayed across the floor, reeking of decay. The creature didn't even flinch.
Arata gagged, stumbling back. "This is insane… this is really happening."
The monster's jaw split open, a guttural hiss vibrating from its throat. It lunged again, faster this time.
Arata ducked instinctively, but the claws grazed his arm. Pain seared through him. His vision blurred as fear threatened to drown him.
"No… not like this. Not again!"
The System's voice chimed:
[Emergency Support Activated.] [Reflex Boost +10% for 30 seconds.]
The world shifted. The monster's movements seemed a fraction slower, its claws easier to track. Adrenaline surged through Arata's veins.
The ghoul slashed again. This time, Arata sidestepped cleanly. The claws passed inches from his face, leaving a cold wind in their wake. He gripped the wooden shard with both hands and stabbed at its throat.
Crunch!
The jagged edge sank deep. The monster screeched, thrashing violently. Arata held on, forcing the shard deeper with desperate strength. His arms trembled, his hands slipping on the slick black ichor.
"Just… die already!" he shouted, voice cracking between rage and terror.
The monster convulsed, clawing at him wildly. One strike tore across his chest, shallow but burning like fire. Pain blurred his vision, but he pushed harder, screaming with effort.
Finally, with a guttural wheeze, the monster collapsed. Its body twitched once, twice, then dissolved into ash that scattered across the floor.
Arata fell back, gasping for air. His entire body trembled uncontrollably. He could feel warm blood trickling from the scratches on his arm and chest. His breaths came in ragged sobs.
[Mission Complete.] [Reward Granted.] [+1 Stat Point Acquired.] [Skill Acquired: Basic Sword Technique (Lv. 1).]
Suddenly, knowledge surged into his mind—stances, grips, slashes, parries. He could see himself holding a sword, practicing forms he had never learned. His body twitched as if recalling long-lost instincts.
Arata stared at his trembling hands. "…This isn't a dream."
The System chimed once more, calm and indifferent.
[Next Mission: To be assigned at dawn.] [Rest well, Host. You'll need it.]
Silence fell, broken only by the distant howls of unseen creatures outside.
Arata gripped the bloodied shard tighter, forcing his breathing to slow. Exhaustion pulled at his eyelids, but sleep was impossible.
"How the hell am I supposed to rest… in a place like this?" he muttered, laughing bitterly.
Yet beneath the fear, something stirred. A spark.
If the System could grant him power for every mission completed… if it could endlessly upgrade him… then maybe he wasn't as powerless as he felt.
He looked at the ash where the monster had been. His hands were still shaking, but his eyes hardened.
He had survived the first night.
And he would survive the next.